U-T Multimedia

SAN DIEGO – Chris Chambers was acquired at the trading deadline in 2007 and became arguably the single-biggest catalyst to a turnaround that saw the Chargers advance to that season's AFC Championship Game.

He caught almost everything he got his hands on, making remarkable and crucial catches seem routine.

Now, Chambers is on the clock.

Indications are that the veteran receiver will be given more time to right himself but also that there is not infinite patience with his inability to get open, make catches and become a reliable target once again.

“We've got to get him going,” head coach Norv Turner said Monday. “He's got to get right.”

Turner has been explaining away Chambers' diminished production for a couple weeks, showing a concerted effort to explain why the former Pro Bowler's numbers are down and why it might look worse than it is.

But a day in Kansas City in which Chambers dropped an apparent touchdown and another pass sailed through his hands and he went without a reception for just the third time in three seasons, prompted Turner to acknowledge that, at least, Chambers' playing time is in jeopardy of decreasing further.

“We're going to look hard at that,” Turner said. “ Chris had a rough day. He had a chance to make a couple plays, and he didn't. They're plays he usually makes. And I see Malcom (Floyd) coming on. That's something that I think as we go through the week, we're certainly going to look at.”

Chambers and Floyd have been splitting time since the season's second game. Floyd's plays have increased pretty much every week, and Sunday he caught his first touchdown pass of the season.

Chambers acknowledges “from a numbers standpoint, absolutely, it's not the start I want. I've had opportunities to make plays I should have made. Believe me, I beat myself up all the time.”

Chambers, however, believes his issue is one of not being able to get in a rhythm. Having caught at least 48 passes from his rookie year of 2001 through 2007, Chambers said, “Usually, I just let my game come to me.”

That's not happening.

“It's been tough adjusting to trying to rotate when I'm usually playing 50 plays,” Chambers said. “My approach has to change. The last few weeks have been tough. The opportunities have been slim. Every time I do make a mistake it's going to be magnified.”

Chambers also said, “(Floyd) deserves to play. This is just something I'm not used to.”

On the season, Chambers has eight receptions for 102 yards, well on his way to a year that would fall short of his career-low totals of 33 catches for 462 yards in an injury-plagued 2008.

Chambers has been targeted 30 times this season. His reception rate of 26.7 percent (8-for-30) is lower than all but Oakland rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey among players who have been targeted more than seven times.

The targeted statistic is nebulous, because it includes every ball thrown a receiver's direction, even if it was uncatchable. Officially, Chambers has just three drops. However, reception percentage is somewhat indicative of a receiver's reliability.